Everything you need to know about paper for books, explained by our own printing house. Paper largely determines how your book feels and looks. The right paper weight, finish and paper type make the difference between cheap-looking print work and a premium book. Here you’ll find everything about paper types, weights and sustainable, FSC-certified options for books and print work.
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Which paper for books suits your edition?
The choice starts with your content. If your book is mostly running text, woodfree offset paper of 80 to 100 g/m² is the obvious choice: light, non-reflective and easy on the eye. If it contains a lot of photographs, coated paper of 115 to 170 g/m² comes out better, because the smooth coating stops ink from spreading and keeps colours deeper and sharper.
Paper weight decides not only how sturdy a page feels, but also how much shows through and how thick your book becomes. Heavier paper gives a thicker spine, and that feeds into your cover design; the spine width calculator shows immediately what a different paper does. On sustainability, look for the mark of the Forest Stewardship Council, which certifies paper from responsibly managed forests.